This summertime Peach Mascarpone Cake is made with a classic Victoria sponge and layered with mascarpone cream and macerated peaches. It’s perfectly sweet and full of peachy flavor!
In need of a sunny day showstopper? This is just the thing to serve when guests come over for afternoon tea or a long chat. For this recipe, we wanted a light and airy base so we went with a classic Victoria sponge cake. It’s delicate, fluffy, and has a delicious butteriness to it unlike some other sponge cakes.
Each layer of this Peach Mascarpone Cake is soaked in syrup from the macerated peaches, amplifying the delicious flavors of the sweet floral fruit. And to top it all off, we went with a mascarpone cream which is a bit richer than traditional whipped cream, but still works on delicate sponge layers.
For more summer baking recipes, try our Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins and this Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pound Cake.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Light and Airy: The Victoria sponge is so velvety and plush. It’s like eating a cloud!
- Delicate Flavors: Each component of this cake has just the right amount of sweetness. And the peach syrup spread throughout the cake layers adds that extra peachy flavor.
- Perfect for Summer: Summertime is peach season so what better way to use them up than with this peach mascarpone cake! It also tastes just as good straight from the cold fridge.
Ingredient Notes
Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Here you’ll find notes on why we chose certain ingredients as well as any substitutions.
- Self-Rising Flour: This is what’s typically used in Victoria sponge cakes. It already contains a little bit of leavener and salt. Don’t swap it with regular flour or your cake will not turn out.
- Baking Powder: This gives the cake just a bit more lift.
- Unsalted Butter: Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature before using it. If it’s greasy, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes to firm it back up a bit.
- Granulated Sugar: You’ll need 200 g for the cake and some for the peaches. Caster sugar will work too.
- Eggs: Set them out 1-2 hours beforehand or place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: This rounds out the flavors in the cake and adds a hint of vanilla to the mascarpone cream.
- Milk: A couple tablespoons of whole milk helps to lighten up the batter and give it extra moisture.
- Fresh Peaches: We use white peaches, but you can use whatever kind you like.
- Mascarpone: This creamy “cheese” is super smooth and whips up perfectly for frosting cakes.
- Powdered Sugar: This sweetens the mascarpone cream and gives it some stability.
- Heavy Cream: For lightening up the mascarpone.
Kitchen Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Stand Mixer (optional)
- Oven Thermometer
- Two 8-inch (20 cm) Round Cake Pans
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Hand Mixer
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
STEP 1: Cream the butter and sugar. Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl, then beat the butter and sugar separately in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time then mix in the vanilla and milk until well combined.
STEP 2: Add the dry ingredients.With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients until a thick batter forms. Don’t overmix. Next, separate the batter evenly into 2 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans and smooth out the tops.
STEP 3: Bake. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The centers should spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 4: Macerate the peaches. Thinly slice the peaches and add them to a bowl with 3 tbsp of sugar. Toss to combine then let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes until a syrup forms.
STEP 5: Make the mascarpone cream. Add the mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip the mascarpone until a thick spreadable cream forms.
STEP 6: Assemble the cake. Place the first layer upright on a plate or cake stand and and spoon some of the peach syrup on top. Spread on half of the cream then arrange a single layer of peaches on top. Repeat the process with the second layer, but arrange the remaining peaches in the center. Drizzle any leftover peach syrup over the cake.
Expert Tips
- Use perfectly ripe peaches. Too firm and they’re not ready to eat. Too soft and they’re likely to turn to mush and not slice cleanly. You’ll know your peaches are just right when they give slightly when pressed.
- Use grams and a scale when baking. We have a section below dedicated to this, but Victoria sponges in particular rely on having an equal amount (in grams) of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Any discrepancies in measurements could yield a dry cake.
- Don’t use baking powder if using King Arthur flour. We tested this recipe with both generic and King Arthur flour. The generic brand needed a bit of help with the addition of baking powder while the King Arthur flour came out perfectly with no extra leavener.
FAQ
If you’re lucky, you can find the King Arthur self-rising flour at the grocery store. Otherwise, generic should be available or you can get it on Amazon.
Yes! We recommend sticking with other stone fruits like nectarines, yellow peaches, or plums.
Baking in Grams
All of our baking recipes are carefully tested using grams so that you get a beautiful and delicious baked good every time. While we provide cup measurements, we can’t guarantee that they’ll produce good results. There’s more room for error when using cups, and how you pack your ingredients can make a significant difference. This is why we recommend measuring by weight so you’re guaranteed for success in the kitchen! All you need is a kitchen scale and you’re good to go!
Storage
Cover with a cloche or store the slices in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep in mind that the cake will dry out the longer it sits in the fridge.
If you tried this recipe, let us know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag us on Instagram @fancifuleats so we can see your amazing kitchen creations!
Print📖 Recipe
Peach Mascarpone Cake
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cooling Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British, American
Description
This summertime Peach Mascarpone Cake is made with a classic Victoria sponge and layered with mascarpone cream and macerated peaches. It’s perfectly sweet and full of peachy flavor!
Ingredients
Victoria Sponge:
- 200 g (1 ¾ cup) self-rising flour, spooned and leveled**
- 1 tsp baking powder**
- 200 g (14 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Macerated Peaches:
- 3 fresh peaches
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
Mascarpone Cream:
- 226 g (8 oz) mascarpone, cold
- 60 g (½ cup) powdered sugar
- 125 ml (½ cup) heavy cream, cold
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Victoria Sponge:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans with butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder (omit if using King Arthur flour).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a handheld electric mixer), cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl and mix in the milk and vanilla extract until well combined.
- With the mixer still running on low speed, gradually add the flour and mix until just combined (the batter will be thick). Don’t overmix. Scrape down the bowl once more to ensure everything is well incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and smooth out the tops. Bake for 20-23 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then invert the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely before adding the cream (about 30 minutes).
For the Macerated Peaches:
- Wash and thinly slice the peaches. Add them to a medium bowl with the sugar and toss to evenly coat the peaches. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes until syrupy.
For the Mascarpone Cream:
- Add the mascarpone, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, whip on low speed until fluffy and spreadable.
For Assembly:
- Place one cake layer onto a serving plate or cake stand. Spoon a generous amount of the peach syrup onto the cake then spread on half of the cream using an offset spatula.
- Arrange one layer of the sliced macerated peaches on the cream then add a small ring of cream on top of the peaches (see post for visual). This acts as a “glue” to hold the layers together. Place the second cake on top and gently press down.
- Spoon more of the peach syrup onto the cake layer. Spread the remaining mascarpone cream on top and arrange the rest of the peaches in the center of the cake. Spoon any remaining peach syrup over top then slice and enjoy!
Notes
Flour and Leavener: We tested this recipe with two different brands of self-rising flour (King Arthur and generic). The King Arthur flour is much more reactive so if you’re using it, omit the baking powder all together.
We used white peaches, but you can use any kind you like.
Storage: Cover the entire cake with a cloche or place the slices in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 436
- Sugar: 29.3 g
- Sodium: 41 mg
- Fat: 27.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5.3 g
Keywords: peach mascarpone cake, peach mascarpone sponge cake
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